Just returned from four days in the CT Lakes region of New Hampshire trout and salmon fishing. I guess MA isn't the only place tht has had a cold spring and nothing but rain. The water was the highest I'd ever seen, making the fishing a bear.

Still, as the weather improved and the water receeded, we managed to get a few nice rainbows and salmon each day on streamers and big bead heads. Tough to get a fly down with the lead ban though.

The rainbows that leave the lakes and swim up the raging currents into the pools of the river are strong as bluefish and make for some great fights.

Most of the land locked Atlantics we got this year were small, 12-16", but when they jump four feet in the air 5 or 6 times, the size matters less and less. I guess we missed the smelt run this year by about a week, so the salmon were all on bead heads.

Unfortunately, the fishing pressure was heavier than ever. This seems to be the case everywhere I go, fresh or salt.

The last day i left, someone took a 3+ pound 21" brookie in one of the small feeder streams. Man oh man, how I wish that had been me.

After reading your report I realize I don't get up there often enough. In fact I haven't been up there since moving out west. Other than the weather and river levels, it sounds like the classic north country fishing experience.

Would sinktips fished with attractor deep patterns have helped out with your lead jones? I tend to favor lead bans myself, although the indicator / nymph method probably calls for it on occasion.

In any case I tend to forget just how much we have right here in New England. Thanks for the report!

The lead ban is actually just for the lakes and ponds, although we were trying to honor it in the rivers as well. The problem was that all small tin shot is apparently backordered throughout the state. In the river mouths the sink tip systems would be fine, but in the pools you are rarely fishing more than the leader and a few feet of line, so you are really relying on that weight a foot or two above the fly to get your line down out of the current.

It is amazing how quickly the water levels fluctuate in those damned (as in below the dam, not the curse word) rivers. A few sunny days with no rain or releases and the level would have been fine.

NH is now taking camping reservations. It's a long trip but could have potential as a site for a future gathering for likeminded trout and salmon heads...